Predicting placement in families who have children with severe handicaps: a longitudinal analysis.
Effects of child characteristics and home environment on caregiver's behavioral intentions regarding placement were examined longitudinally for 100 families of children with severe mental retardation. Prior behavioral intentions significantly predicted actual placement, independent of other factors. Child characteristics, with one exception, failed to predict intentions or actual placement behavior. The more normative the child's appearance, the less likely caregivers were to seriously consider placement and to place. Higher socioeconomic standing of mothers promoted more serious consideration of placement as did larger numbers of siblings. Some factors of home quality promoted more active consideration but did not directly affect actual placements. Stress on caregiver contributed to both placement intentions and actual placements. Support resources, on the other hand, had little effect on placement intentions or placement.
Hanneman
R
R
UCR Families Project, School of Education, University of California, Riverside 92521, USA.
Blacher
J
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors